Life in the Yucatán. Thoughts on Life. Adventure tales. Photos of travel,cat commando, plants and flowers, the Mérida house, and Bacalar. Searching for balance in work, play, nature......and soul searching.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

I LOVE CANADIANS!

Back in 2010, which seems like ages and ages ago, I published a 'Rant', and duly labeled as a rant, about who the expats in Mérida are. Evidently some with a sense of humor responded agreeing or disagreeing with me. Today I received a very nasty response which has prompted me to remove my OPINIONS from my own personal blog, which I thought was a place for opinions.

Opinions are just that. One's take on a given situation at a given time. It is ok if you disagree with my opinions, but to get nasty and hateful is over the line with me. I was pissed off in 2010, and yes, in discussions of reputations for poorly tipping tourists, Canadians are always mentioned as first offenders among others. So I won't take that back. Please keep in mind that I hadn't compared them to Americans or anyone else. It was just an OPINION I had at the time.

This has nothing to do with how I view Canadians. I know and work with a lot of Canadians, and I think they are a fine people. I consider Canada to be more together as a country than what I see of life in the USA. I don't see them fighting over the silliest of issues as I do when I read what Americans say in many blogs and forums. What's more, BC and Alberta are two of my favorite places on earth, and I thought the people were super friendly. The scenery, at least in Western Canada, is some of the most beautiful and breathtaking that exists. I think Canadians are smart. Today, in the middle of 2013, I don't rant on here anymore, and since life goes on things change, including opinions.

I am not much of a part of the Mérida expat community. I work and do my own thing. I don't totally relate to the mindset of everyone I meet. I don't judge the people I meet as I meet them, and let personalities speak for themselves. There are cliques of expats here of all kinds, there are superficial people as well as some terrific genuine people who moved here because they like the life style of Mexico and its people. There are plenty of expats who make no effort to speak any Spanish - and that still bugs me as it relays a feeling of superiority, as if my language is more important than yours, even tho' I am living in your Spanish speaking country. I don't want to even enter into that territory, because it is POLITICALLY INCORRECT. I know once we are out of studying mode, it is difficult to learn a new way of thinking in a new language. It would be very helpful because many expats who come to live in México just want to make sure they live exactly as they would in their own country, whatever that may be, just more cheaply. I think one should want to come here to assimilate, not to try to change the way of life of the native population. That still pisses me off a little, but I don't get riled up over it. I just listen to people simply say 'no Spanish' and can't even learn hello, please or thank you. It takes a while to get used to the difference in life here from wherever we all come from, and I think we need to give into that a bit. Learning what you can in Spanish helps you to understand the way locals look at things in a more clear light. Many of the local people want to speak English, of course, and in that way we can teach each other something, as they struggle with our language they struggle with our horrendous and/or lame attempts to speak to them as well.

I fear entering the politically correct and incorrectness of how guarded everything must be that any person says or does. And I don't really want to get into a discussion of expats, immigrants, or any of the controversial issues. I have my opinions of all that, which I prefer to keep to myself.

My lifestyle and outlook on life has changed a lot since I moved here. I came here needing a change. I made the changes, and I feel pretty easy going at this point. I don't dislike anyone because of where they come from, and try to not generalize. I admit I was judgmental and did generalize too much in my outspoken rants. And it was wrong. When I saw in others what I was guilty of myself, it changed my entire outlook. I am more at peace now than I was the first few years I lived here. I have accepted the strange way things go and just bite my tongue. I am no longer the opinionated aggressive Aries that I was when I had the confidence to write and share my opinions. Much of my optimism toward people in general is a bit jaded, but I just carry on. I don't cause anyone any problems, and all I ask is the same from others.

5 comments:

Isn't it unfortunate that if you express an opinion that someone disagrees with, they have to get nasty as if their opinion is better than yours?

I have read all of your blogs and in no way have you ever been discriminatory in any sense of the word. The person who responded to your "rant" probably has absolutely no idea of what life is like here in Merida, or Mexico in eneral.

Thank you Carlos and Pat Q. I appreciate your support, and I do not try to insult anyone in my blogs. Sometimes I vent there but I thought this was my space to do so. I am too sensitive because any comment like the one I got from that person was over the top and it got to me.

Thanks Mike. You and I both know and are friends with several Canadians. I have never had anything against them. Tipping is different in many countries and as my other friend said, many don't realize that here in México the wait help does not receive a decent wage so that the tip is 'extra' - they are working directly for those tips. It is a shame that people who can afford to eat out don't see fit to leave their server, who usually takes really good care of us, a decent thank you in the form of a few pesos.

Linda,I am sorry that it took me this long to realize that you had updated your blog.

Your opinions are simply your opinions. They can't be wrong because they are what you think based on the information you have at the time. What makes you a good person is that if you get new information, you are willing to change your opinion;or at least take a second look at it. This is your blog and if people don't like what you write, they are not forced to read it.I have heard the Canadians are cheap stereotype many times, I haven't found it true. However, I have also heard the Americans are loud and boorish, and I haven't found that to be true.However, we do have different cultures and a common language. We are similar like Mexicans and Chileans are similar;we share a common language and some common heritage, but we are dissimilar cultures just as Mexico and Chile are.